‘That is most kind of him, but I have my own protection.’ She gestured towards Ina. ‘Your help is not required.’
‘One old man? He couldn’t defend an argument.’
‘Put the matter to the test, oaf, and we’ll see what I can defend,’ growled Ina.
‘I wouldn’t take advantage.’
‘You’d be foolish to try,’ replied Anwyn, ‘especially as there are forty more of my men waiting in the dunes yonder.’
A muscle spasmed Ina’s cheek. However, Grymar missed it, darting a glance to the place she had indicated. The dunes were quiet, the only movement the wind in the marram grass. He regarded her suspiciously.
‘There’s no-one over there.’
Ina raised a grizzled brow. ‘Are you calling my lady a liar?’
Grymar reddened further. ‘I did not say so. I meant only that I cannot see anyone.’
‘That’s because they’re hidden.’
‘Be that as it may, what I am saying is that yonder riff-raff are trespassers.’
‘So are you,’ replied Ina, ‘but if you and your men leave now we’ll overlook it—this time.’
Grymar’s glare was poisonous. ‘Lord Ingvar isn’t going to like this.’
‘Dear me, how awful.’
Anwyn threw Ina a warning glance, knowing she could not afford to make an enemy of Ingvar. He was strong and potentially dangerous. Somehow he had to be kept on side while she made it clear that she would not tolerate this kind of interference in her affairs.
‘Lord Ingvar has always been a good neighbour,’ she replied. ‘He would never have sanctioned such a violation as this.’
Ina nodded. ‘You are right, my lady. It’s my belief that Grymar has acted on his own initiative in an excess of zeal.’
She saw the chance and seized it. ‘Yes, that must be it. His lordship will no doubt be greatly angered when he discovers what has happened.’
Grymar scowled. He knew enough about his master’s ambitions to realise that he would not be pleased by the creation of an open rift with Lady Anwyn. Moreover, it looked now as if all the blame was shifting his way.
‘If I have offended you, my lady, I am sorry for it.’
She favoured him with a haughty stare. ‘You have indeed caused me offence. You will take your men and leave.’
He threw a last look of detestation at her escort and at the ship’s crew, then turned his horse and barked an order to his men. Moments later the whole horde marched away up the beach. As she watched them depart, Anwyn let out the breath she had been holding.
‘Good riddance.’
Ina grimaced. ‘Good riddance indeed, as far as that goes.’
‘They won’t be back’
‘No,’ he replied, ‘they won’t, but that lot are still very much here.’ He jerked his head towards the watching crewmen. ‘And now we have their undivided attention.’
Chapter Three
Anwyn darted a glance at the silent warrior band and felt her heartbeat quicken. For a brief instant she wondered if she had not made a terrible mistake: visions of capture and slavery loomed large. Then resolution reasserted itself. She had come too far to back down now.
Turning her horse, she rode the last few yards towards them. They let her come. What she saw left her in no doubt that Ina was right: they were professionals, bearing themselves with the quiet confidence of men who have nothing to prove. Far from showing any expression of hostility, their faces revealed a very different range of emotions. These covered everything from rapt interest to amusement and frank enjoyment. For some reason it was far more disconcerting than warlike intent could ever have been. Anwyn lifted her chin and took a deep breath. Then, under the gauntlet of their eyes, she sought out the man who led them.
‘Which one of you is chief here?’
From the van of their ranks a man stepped forward. ‘I am.’
For the space of a few heartbeats they surveyed each other in silence. Her gaze took in a lithe and powerful figure clad in a mail shirt worn over leather tunic and breeches. One hand held a fine sword, companion no doubt to the dagger that hung from his belt, and on his left arm he carried a linden-wood shield embossed with iron. The upper part of his face was hidden by the guards of a helmet whose crest bore the likeness of a hunting wolf. Below it she could make out the strong lines of his jaw and mouth. Undisturbed by her scrutiny, he turned and handed the shield to one of his men. Then he removed the helmet and tossed that over, too. As he turned back again, Anwyn’s breath caught in her throat. The face with its chiselled clean-shaven lines was striking for its good looks. A vivid blue gaze met and held hers. In it she saw the same light of amusement she had detected before in his men. Her chin lifted a little higher.
‘Do you have a name?’
‘Do you?’ he replied.
‘I asked first.’
His lips twitched. ‘Lord Wulfgar, at your service.’
‘I am Anwyn, Lady of Drakensburgh.’
‘I beg you will forgive our trespass, my lady. My ship was damaged in the storm yester night and we sought a quiet haven in which to carry out repairs.’
‘A quiet haven?’ she replied. ‘It has hardly been that.’
‘No, but matters would have been much worse had you not intervened.’ He paused. ‘Why did you?’
‘Because I would not have blood shed here for no good cause.’
‘Your neighbours do not share that view.’
‘They had no right to pronounce on the matter.’ Anwyn met his gaze. ‘Yet their suspicions were perhaps not without foundation.’
‘We intend no harm if that is what you mean. We have business elsewhere and once our repairs are complete we will leave.’
‘I see. May I ask whither you are bound?’
‘We go to join Rollo.’
‘Rollo? But he’s a notorious pirate.’
‘That’s right.’
Anwyn paled a little. ‘You are mercenaries then.’
‘Correct.’
This frank admission was deeply disquieting, and rendered all the more so by her inability to read what lay behind that outwardly courteous manner.
‘However,’ he continued,’ until we can repair our vessel all else is irrelevant.’
‘I can see that.’
‘Have we your permission to stay and do the necessary work?’
She took a deep breath. ‘I think you have no choice since your ship cannot leave without it.’
‘We could leave under oars,’ he replied, ‘but the next large wave we encountered would likely sink us.’
‘How long will it take to mend the damage?’
‘With luck, a few days only.’
Relief washed in. She nodded. ‘Very well. Carry out your repairs if you will.’
‘I thank you.’ He paused. ‘One thing more I would ask.’
‘And that is?’
‘The use of a forge if you have one—and a carpenter’s workshop.’
‘That’s two things.’
He smiled. ‘So it is. But then, as I am a mercenary, it cannot surprise you that I should try to secure the best possible bargain.’
His words drew a reluctant answering smile. Inwardly she wondered if she could trust him or whether this was some kind of trick. All the same, the only way to be free of the problem now was to help him.
‘We have both things. Send some men to Drakensburgh tomorrow and we will show them where.’ She pointed to the dunes. ‘The way is yonder, due west about half a league distant.’
‘Again, my thanks, lady.’
Anwyn nodded and turned her horse’s head. Then, accompanied by Ina, she rode back to where Jodis and Eyvind were waiting. Wulfgar looked on in some surprise; he had been so preoccupied with events that he not noticed the presence of the other two figures at the edge of the beach. They were too far away for him to make out details, but again his curiosity stirred. Who were they? What was their connection with Lady Anwyn? He watched as they exchanged a few words and then all four rode away through the dunes.
‘A mighty pretty woman,’ said Hermund, when the last of the riders was gone from view. ‘Courageous, too.’
‘Aye, she is,’ replied Wulfgar.
His companion chuckled softly. ‘I thought that Grymar oaf was going to explode. I’d like to be a fly on the wall when he gets back.’
‘So would I.’
‘His master doesn’t sound much better.’
‘Ingvar?’ said Wulfgar. ‘No matter. We’re not like to meet him anyway.’
‘Small mercies, eh?’
‘As you say.’
‘Well, now that peace has broken out I guess we can get on with those repairs.’
Wulfgar nodded. Then, divesting himself of weapons and armour, he rejoined his men and set to. However, although his hands were busy, his mind returned to recent events and he smiled to himself. Hermund was right; the woman was courageous. He’d never met anyone quite like her. Anwyn. He wouldn’t forget the name or the face, either. No man would. Yet it was the eyes he remembered most clearly; eyes as green as a summer sea and deep enough to drown in…